A 34-year-old Cupertino day care owner was arrested Wednesday on felony child endangerment charges after three children in her care sustained serious injuries, including a 9-month-old whose leg was fractured.

Giti Karimpour, who operated Giti’s Family Day Care out of her home on Stevens Creek Boulevard, also had her license suspended and the day care shut down on March 2 because of the allegations. She has appealed the suspension, according to the Department of Social Services, which licenses day care homes.

The 9-month-old boy sustained a spiral leg fracture and another 21-month-old boy suffered facial and throat injuries after being force-fed with a fork, according to state licensing records. The third child received serious bruises and scratches to her face and neck.
None of the injuries were considered life-threatening. But a spokeswoman for the Department of Social Services said the injuries “were a clear risk to child safety, enough to move in to take action to protect against further harm.”

A woman who answered the phone at the Giti’s Family Day Care number Wednesday said Karimpour was not there and she didn’t know when the owner would return.

In all three cases, Karimpour did not notify parents or medical personnel about the incidents, according to authorities. Records show she was licensed in 1995 to care for up to a dozen children and this is the first time her day care has received a suspension.

Parents of the youngsters who attended the day care, who were between 3 months of age and 5 years, were abruptly told March 2 about the day care closing, when Karimpour received a suspension notice. The state quickly provided parents with a list of alternative day care providers in the area.

Authorities said it took several days after receiving the state’s report for the sheriff’s department to do its own investigation into the accusations against Karimpour.

There are 1,788 residential home day care providers licensed in Santa Clara County, according to the Department of Social Services.

As part of the appeal process, Karimpour is entitled to an administrative hearing within the Social Services Department. That is separate from the criminal charges she faces, which could result in jail time if she is convicted.

In addition to the injuries to the children, the state filed various “housekeeping” violations against Karimpour. When state investigators checked her home they found she did not keep an accurate account of the children in her care and her adult daughter, who lived in the home, did not have a criminal record clearance, a state requirement. Records show she was fined $500 for the violations.

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